Andhra swears by 'peaceful' progress

Chennai: Andhra Pradesh has been able to acquire 22,000 acres of land from people "through a peaceful process" for special economic zones (SEZs), a senior minister of the state said on Tuesday.

"Andhra Pradesh does not have any Nandigrams," J. Geeta Reddy, minister for major industries, sugar, commerce and export promotion, told mediapersons here. The state had embarked on a programme whereby land for SEZs was being acquired "through consultations", he said.

Reddy was speaking after announcing the launch of a multi-product economic park - Sri City - on the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border, 65 km north of Chennai.

"The state is pitching for a coastal corridor of about 603-sq-km along the coast of Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Rajahmundri" to set up a petroleum, chemicals and petrochemicals investment region (a PCPIR), he said.

The state had also sought upgradation of the Visakhapatnam airport to international status and put across proposals for five more domestic airports, he said.

The state had attracted investment worth Rs170 billion (Dh14.6 billion) in just four years and projects worth Rs380 billion were in the pipeline, he said.

Sri City chairman and managing director Ravindra Sannareddy said the project would take shape on 5,000 acres of land.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the project will take place on August 8 near Tada village.